Guatemala is vegan holiday heaven; an abundance of fresh fruit and veg, avocados all year round, real chocolate and a wonderful climate. What more could you ask for!
Having spent the past decade working and traveling in Guatemala and Latin America, there are some things I wish I had know prior to arriving on the continent; heaps of processed white sugar often gets added to already naturally sweet fruit juices and smoothies, cheese gets sprinkled on top of practically all street food (just a little sprinkle on the top…of everything) and caldo stock is rarely, if ever, vegetable-based, making vegetable soups a potential cause for concern.
Here are some helpful hints on how to be a healthy vegan friendly traveler in a linguistically dangerous environment!
1. Sin azúcar por favor – without sugar please
Unless you have an incredibly sweet tooth, you’ll want to pay attention to your juices and smoothies.
Picture the scene; you’ve found a nice little coffee shop / juice bar and have just ordered an amazing looking juice with papaya, maracuyá, and melon (they even have extras you can add like chia seeds and spirulina). You sit down and whilst you’re finding a comfy spot and not watching, two heaped tablespoons of (white, processed) sugar have been added to your beautiful fresh juice!
This is very common in Guatemala and central America but a polite, sin azúcar por favor will eliminate the problem, before it’s even a problem!
2. Sin queso por favor – without cheese please
Guatemala has a wonderful, vibrant street food culture and there are many vegan friendly options. But traditionally, cheese gets sprinkled on top of everything.
Tostadas are great; a fried corn tortilla topped with avocado, lettuce, onion, chile sauce optional, just be sure to say politely, sin queso por favor and you’ll get a lovely cheese free street snack
3. Tiene Caldo de pollo – Does it have chicken stock?
This is sometimes where the lines get blurry. Vegetable soup is not always vegan friendly, as chicken stock is commonly used. If you are ever in doubt as to whether chicken stock is in a main dish, be on the safe side by asking tiene caldo de pollo.
4. Tiene leche – Does it have milk?
I would recommend sticking with the lovely corn tortillas in Guatemala and central America. But if you really fancy bread then be sure to check on the leche factor. Milk is commonly used to glaze bread and also in the making of the dough.
5. Tiene carne – Does it have meat?
Tamales and tamalitos are delicious steamed corn parcels, most of which contain pork (or other non identifiable meats) so be on the look out for tamales or tamalitos de loroco which is an edible flower.
Process of elimination is the easiest way to suss out if it’s vegan friendly or not, so start by asking, “Tiene carne?” (does it have meat) to which you may get this reply; “No, tiene ave” (no it has poultry). You could then ask, “Hay uno de loroco?” (is there one with loroco) and hopefully there will be—they are delicious!
About the author: Emma Fry is the owner and founder of Veganbnb Travel, vegan vacations in Guatemala and Spain, for more on trips, vegan friendly travel (and stories about motorbike adventures and vegan carrot cake) go to www.veganbnbtravel.com. Promoting the availability of a lifestyle in which animals and the environment are not exploited, one holiday at a time.
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